NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 22, 2025
In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: recapping Monday’s playoff action, the Kraken make coaching and management changes, plus the latest on the Canucks, Rangers, and Red Wings as they head into the offseason.
RECAPS OF MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES
NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings blew 4-0 and 5-2 leads before nipping the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series.
Phillip Danault scored twice, including the winning goal with 42 seconds left in the third period. Kings forwards Adrian Kempe and Andrei Kuzmenko each had a goal and two assists. Oilers captain Connor McDavid led his club’s comeback with four points, including the tying goal. Evan Bouchard picked up three assists. Game 2 is Wednesday, Apr. 23, in Los Angeles, with a 10 pm ET start.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A wild game that seemed poised for a blowout win by the Kings until Edmonton made it interesting in the third with McDavid leading the way. It certainly wasn’t a defensive masterpiece, with goalies Darcy Kuemper of the Kings and Stuart Skinner of the Oilers looking shaky at times, whilst both clubs committed costly blunders in their own zones.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals (including his first NHL playoff overtime goal) to down the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in Game 1 of their opening round series. The Capitals jumped to a 2-0 lead before the Canadiens tied it on goals by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, with rookie defenseman Lane Hutson collecting two assists. Game 2 is Wednesday, starting at 7 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals dominated the first two periods as their postseason experience was on display during that stretch. Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault was sharp, keeping his team in the game until they gained their footing and rallied back.
The Winnipeg Jets squeezed past the St. Louis Blues 2-1 with Kyle Connor breaking a 1-1 tie early in the third period. Mark Scheifele also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves for the Jets, who take a 2-0 lead in the series. Rookie Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first NHL playoff goal and Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots for the Blues. The series shifts to St. Louis for Games 3 and 4 with the next match scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 24, at 9:30 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both games have been closely contested and could’ve gone the Blues’ way with some puck luck. Scheifele (five points) and Connor (four points) have stepped up to lead offensively for the Jets, with the latter tallying both winning goals.
An overtime goal by Colin Blackwell gave the Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, tying their series at a game apiece. Jake Oettinger turned aside 34 shots and Tyler Seguin scored his first goal since returning from hip surgery. Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves and Logan O’Connor had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Game 3 is Wednesday at 9:30 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche created a stir before the game by announcing captain Gabriel Landeskog was activated off long-term injury reserve. He was not in the lineup for Game 2, but he appears a step closer to appearing in this series at some point. Due to knee surgeries, Landeskog hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
HEADLINES
THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken announced Monday they fired head coach Dan Bylsma after one season on the job. They have reportedly reassigned general manager Ron Francis to team president, with assistant GM Jason Botterill taking over the management job.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken missed the playoffs for the second straight year under Bylsma, finishing 20 points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Francis had recently come under criticism for the club’s stalled improvement, including last summer’s expensive signings of center Chandler Stephenson and defenseman Brandon Montour.
The Kraken reached the playoffs in their second season, but that set heightened expectations they have struggled to meet. Botterill has management experience, serving three seasons as GM of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017 to 2020. Time will tell if he’ll have better luck in Seattle than he did in his brief tenure in Buffalo.
THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford raised eyebrows during his end-of-season press conference, saying team captain Quinn Hughes hopes to one day play alongside brothers Jack and Luke, who play for the New Jersey Devils.
Rutherford said a reunion of the Hughes brothers is partly out of the Canucks’ control. He added that bringing Jack and Luke to Vancouver would be within the club’s control, adding that he had to be careful with tampering and left it at that. Rutherford also said his club cannot afford to lose Quinn and would do everything they could to keep him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford wasn’t saying his club was trying to bring Jack and Luke to Vancouver. He also wasn’t saying Quinn wants out of Vancouver.
It’s unlikely that Rutherford gets his fingers slapped for any violation of the league’s tampering rules. Realistically, such a move is highly doubtful. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.
Quinn Hughes has two years remaining on his contract with the Canucks. Whatever Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin do this offseason could determine whether he remains in Vancouver beyond 2027.
Rutherford also said the Canucks won’t pick up the option year in head coach Rick Tocchet’s contract. If he returns next season, it’ll be on a new long-term deal. Tocchet is at his Las Vegas home, taking a breather and mulling things over. He could make his decision later this week.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford and Allvin are keen to keep Tocchet behind the Canucks’ bench. They commended him and his coaching staff for their handling of a difficult season, including a major rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller that led to the latter’s trade to the New York Rangers in January.
Speaking of Pettersson, the club plans to stick with the struggling center, hoping a stronger off-season training regimen will help him regain his high-scoring form. Allvin is keeping his options open, but insists the team still has faith in Pettersson.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks options will narrow considerably when Pettersson’s no-movement clause kicks in on July 1.
TSN: The Canucks also intend to let Brock Boeser reach this summer’s free-agent market on July 1. However, they haven’t ruled out bringing him back if he doesn’t find a better deal elsewhere.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boeser could return to the Canucks after July 1 on the latter’s terms. However, there will be teams with plentiful cap space seeking scoring depth who could be willing to meet his asking price.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider underwent surgery on Apr. 17 to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder that’s been nagging him for the past two years. He can resume skating in three months.
Rangers winger Chris Kreider revealed he suffered back spasms in November and vertigo in December. He also injured his left hand in February following the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which could require surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those issues explain why Kreider’s production dropped significantly this season, making him the subject of trade speculation.
The Rangers don’t intend to approach former NHL coach Joel Quenneville about their vacant head-coaching position. It’s believed there is a mutual recognition that it would not be the best landing spot for his potential return to the NHL coaching ranks.
THE SCORE: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin believes management’s inaction at the trade deadline didn’t help the club gain momentum in the playoff race. Their only move was acquiring goalie Petr Mrazek and forward Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for center Joe Veleno. The Wings wound up missing the postseason for the ninth straight year.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin’s frustration over the club’s long playoff drought could raise further questions about general manager Steve Yzerman’s efforts to build this club into a postseason contender.
Interesting comments by Larkin. I’m glad he cares enough to speak up, but avoided mentioning that his lack of production after 4 Nations was part of the problem – not all of it, but he didn’t show up enough when his team needed him.
Take a look in the mirror Dylan.
Indeed. Yzerman has more than his share of bad signings, but it might be time to move Larkin.
Im sure Sweeney would make a deal for him
But when your team, as a whole, ranks among the bottom 4 in the Conference in goals scored (Detroit & Philadelphia – 238; NYI 224; Boston 222), and most of the team’s production comes from the top 2 lines by wide margins over the 3rd and 4th lines, it follows that opposing teams they play against in a playoff race will concentrate their best checking units against the top 2 lines. So, when Larkin says “We didn’t do anything. We didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline. Guys were kind of down about it” I think he was more than likely inferring that Yzerman should have been pursuing goal/points producers rather than another goalie and Craig Smith who, in 40 gp with Chicago, had produced 9 goals 7 assists for 16 pts and in 19 with Detroit had 0 goals and 2 assists. I doubt any opposing team was overly concerned with him.
Habs were like a deer caught in the headlights as the Capitals tried to run them right out of the rink.
Capitals game plan was a hard forecheck hitting everything in sight, focusing on taking away time and space for the defensemen.
The only Hab to maintain form was Montembeault who was cool as a cucumber and kept the game within reach.
Eventually they got their footing and took over the game in the third period and forced overtime.
I think they need to dress Xhekaj to give the Capitals something to think about regarding the planned physicality
This was the Habs first real playoff atmosphere, HF30. They are a young team and playoff jitters were to be expected. I don’t mind them dressing Xhekaj, but I expect they will be better next game with or without him in the line up.
Were I the Capitals I would not be planning a parade route. Ovi can still shoot the puck but he hasn’t the pace to keep up to playoff hockey. Getting past Habs won’t be hard, but the opposition after that is going to show he has clearly lost a step.
Speed has never been Ovid game. He finds the soft area on the ice like 2nd nature
He also hits like a truck that usually doesn’t get the credit for it
So before the playoffs started I thought this was going to be the time the Kings beat the Oilers…by strong d…solid goaltending and grinding it out in a long low chance series.
But now i think the series is over and the Oilers will win this and likely in 5.
The Kings had shut out the Oilers for nearly 8 straight periods until the Oilers solved them in the 3rd. Some will pass it off as 1 period but I don’t think the Kings can close that door now that is been opened and unlike the Avs or Vegas the Kings cannot go toe to toe in a scoring frenzy and expect to win the series.
Maybe I am wrong but I feel better with the 6-5 loss than I would have with a 4 to 1 game that it was shaping up as. Time will tell.
As for Larkin…it’s understandable. 1 pt out last year…in the thick of things at the deadline and no help from the gm. I don’t like to see players speak out in the media but there comes a point where that may be the only way to drive change. Idk
As for the habs…making it to OT in game one on the road has to give them the impression they have a chance right?
Helluva lot more reason to feel optimistic heading into their 2nd game than does Ottawa facing theirs tonight.
Washington has a size advantage over the Habs and if I were Washington’s coach, my game plan would be exactly how they played in the first 2 periods – finish your checks and hit everyone in a Habs uniform. Of course, that is easier said than done as hitting also takes a toll on the person delivering the hit. By the third period, Washington took their foot off the gas and Montreal took advantage and was able to tie the game and force overtime. If someone had told me after the first 10 minutes of last nights game that this game was going into overtime I would have laughed my arse off. So good on Montreal for sticking with it and not giving up. Good on Montembeault for doing his best Halak impression and keeping the game close. I didn’t like seeing our smaller players being taken advantage of physically so I’m ok with Arber getting in the lineup just as long as he understands he has to keep his emotions in check and not take any stupid penalties.
The Habs have 4 forwards under 6.0′, but the Caps have 3. Not that much of an advantage, unless the massive Protas plays.
The size advantage Washington has is on D, where they do indeed have a big blue line. But add Wifi at 6/4″ and that difference isn’t as big. And yes, he has to understand that he can’t lose position to make a big hit.
I don’t expect the Habs to win the series, but faster puck movement can negate a hard forecheck. Let’s not overstate this size/hit advantage. We’ll see how the coaching staff feels about whether the issue is size or not.
I think WSH got tired themselves from all the hitting and running around, MTL took advantage with their speed.
Looks like Lou is finally done in New York.
Yep … they finally pulled the plug.
Now several points of interest – who will replace him and what does he do in terms of the needed roster shake-up – does anyone else hire Lamoriello, or is this – like the Traveling Wilburys hit – the end of the line?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMVjToYOjbM
The Traveling Wilburys love that song fitting selection George
I think it’s time to realize he’s done. A few others managed to pull out a couple gems when aging… I seem to remember John Muckler and Cliff Fletcher still having a little bit of their old magic in their final days… but Lou seems to be totally out of the loop.
Montreal and Ottawa are realizing that the second season playoffs is a little different than the regular season! Interesting to see how Ullmark and Hutson fare.I am a fan of both!